Just as one construction project is wrapping up on the Old Glenn Highway, another one will begin.
Construction on the three-quarter-mile section between Access Road and the turnoff to Fire Lake Elementary will continue through October and will hopefully be completed this year, said Gary Kobayashi, project manager with the Department of Transportation.
Work on the section began Wednesday. The project was slated to take place next year but the construction of the Fire Eagle Town homes and the Fred Meyer store moved it up.
Kobayashi said the Pruhs Corporation, which is the contractor on the project, would now be racing the clock to complete the project by winter.
"They will get done as much as they can this year, weather permitting," said Kobayashi. "That will mean a few closures."
The first of those closures will begin Friday afternoon. The Old Glenn between the two Fred Meyer entrances will be closed until Monday morning before the commute. A closure of the same duration and area is expected to begin Sept. 12. Both Fred Meyer entrances will remain open
Kobayashi said that project was originally scheduled to include two closures, but the contractor is now requesting more. Kobayashi said that request would be reviewed.
The improvements will translate into a five-lane road, like that south of Access Road, continued to the North Fred Meyer entrance. The road will begin to be reduced there, becoming a two-lane road at the Fire Lake Elementary and McDonald Center turnoff.
A pathway will be constructed from the new housing developments adjacent from Fred Meyer to Fire Lake Elementary. The pathway will accommodate students on a new waking route to Fire Lake.
One major delay became apparent Friday, as Pruhs tried to firm up its schedule for construction. Relocating of a gas line will have to take place, and Enstar is not scheduled to do that until sometime in October.
"For now, they will just have to work around that stretch," said Kobayashi.
With the race against the weather, Kobayashi said the project has one ally. He said the road project would be completed with an asphalt treated base, which can be applied later in the season than other materials.
Along with the actual construction congestion, Kobayashi said gravel trucks would be traveling the road with increased frequency. Currently, Pruhs plans to bring gravel from Loretta French ball fields. The company is asking for increased hours of operation for gravel extraction, and Chugiak Community Council president Larry Smith said it might be a good idea.
"If it helps the project get finished quicker, it's probably a good thing to look into," said Smith. "It could mean we get those fields finished sooner, too."
Although nearly completed, work between the Eagle River Glenn Highway on-ramp and Access Road continues. Kobayashi said the fencing would likely be completed by the end of the month. Other aesthetic improvements, including a retaining wall near the Matanuska Electric Association substation, will be completed this season.
Reach the reporter at gdart@alaskastar.com
